Well, our return flight is no longer creeping up on us - it's pretty much racing at us like a drunk, reckless, scooter driver in Thailand! So...we figured the best way to end our trip was to spend a little time relaxing in the islands of the Gulf of Thailand (and to get our open water SCUBA diver certification!!!).
The experience can be summed up quite simply with one word - WOW. We have done a fair amount of snorkeling in the last few years (Hawaii, Florida, Mexico, and Thailand), but diving is absolutely amazing. Many people have described diving to us as "3D," and it truly is - instead of being two dimensional, like snorkeling, that is. Sitting here at the computer, trying to describe the experience, I'm having a hard time finding the words; it was just so wild...breathing underwater, swimming with thousands upon thousands of fish, seeing the vibrant corals and tropical plants, and basically being weightless.
We started with an afternoon in a swimming pool (learning the basics, going through some skills, and getting to know our instructor and classmate James) - Torsten, a German guy who has lived in Koh Phangan for over 15 years, was our instructor. He is one of most technically qualified divers in the region and was great - mellow, easy going, funny, and patient. James, a stunt man who lives in Hollywood, has been in Thailand for the last month filming the new Rambo film. He was full of energy, totally out of control, and generally a great addition to our learning experience (as you'll see, he also served as our photographer).
We did two dives on Koh Tao the second day of the course (to a depth of 12 meters) and then did two more dives on the third day at Sail Rock (to a depth of about 23 meters), which is located in the middle of the Gulf of Thailand between Koh Tao and Koh Phangan. The dives lasted anywhere from 25 to 50 minutes, but time goes by quickly when you are completely in awe of your surroundings.
All and all, absolutely unforgettable!
